Systems and methods for rapid contrast therapy

ABSTRACT

A rapid contrast therapy system can provide cold, heat/hot/warm (hereafter referred to as “hot”), and/or rapid contrast therapy, which involves rapidly alternating between cold therapy and hot therapy. The system can circulate cold or hot fluid, such as water, through a hose, into a therapy wrap, and then back to the fluid reservoirs of the system. The system can utilize a vapor compression system or other chiller technology to cool the cold water reservoir, and immersion heaters can be used to heat the hot water reservoir.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/448,367, filed Jan. 19, 2017, which is herein incorporated byreference in its entirety.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications and patent applications mentioned in this specificationare herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if eachindividual publication or patent application was specifically andindividually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to thermal therapy of an animatebody, and more particularly to rapid contrast therapy which alternatesrapidly between cold therapy and hot therapy.

BACKGROUND

It is now common to apply cold and compression to a traumatized area ofa human body to facilitate healing and prevent unwanted consequences ofthe trauma. In fact, the acronym RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression andElevation) is now used by many.

Typically thermally-controlled therapy involves cold packing with icebags or the like to provide deep core cooling of a body part. Therapyoften involves conventional therapy wraps with a fluid bladder forcirculating a cooled heat exchange medium. Elastic wraps are oftenapplied over the therapy wrap to provide compression.

More recently therapy wraps including a pair of compliant bladders tocontain fluids have been disclosed. The therapy wrap typically has acompliant bladder for containing a circulating heat exchange liquidalone or in combination with a compressive bladder which overlays thecompliant bladder for pressing the bladder against the body part to besubjected to heat exchange. In general, the body heat exchangingcomponent(s) of such an apparatus include a pair of layers defining aflexible fluid bladder through which a liquid is circulated. Thestructure embodying both the liquid bladder and compressive bladdercomponent is often referred to as a “wrap.” The liquid fed to the wrapis maintained at a desired temperature by passing the liquid through aheat exchanging medium such as an ice bath or a refrigeration unit. Onesuch system is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,562 toElkins, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated for all purposesby reference.

In some cases, heat treatment in conjunction with cryotherapy canprovide benefits to the patient when provided in a rapidly alternatingmanner called rapid contrast therapy. Historically, this was done byalternating immersion in hot and cold water baths. However, use of hotand cold water baths is cumbersome and inconvenient to apply. Therefore,it would be desirable to provide a system and method for convenientlydelivering rapid contrast therapy, cold therapy alone, heat therapyalone, and/or compression therapy.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention relates generally to thermal therapy of an animatebody, and more particularly to rapid contrast therapy which alternatesrapidly between cold therapy and hot therapy.

In some embodiments, a system for providing rapid contrast therapy isprovided. The system includes a cold reservoir configured to hold a coldliquid; a hot reservoir configured to hold a hot liquid; a cold fillport in fluid communication with the cold reservoir; a hot fill port influid communication with the hot reservoir, wherein both the cold fillport and the hot fill port are housed in a receptacle that is configuredto accommodate fluid overflow from the cold reservoir and the hotreservoir by allowing the cold liquid to overflow from the coldreservoir and into the hot reservoir or the hot liquid to overflow fromthe hot reservoir and into the cold reservoir; a chiller configured tocool the cold liquid; a first pump configured to pump the cold liquidfrom the cold reservoir to the chiller; a heater configured to heat thehot liquid; a second pump configured to pump the hot liquid from the hotreservoir to the heater; a user interface configured to allow a user toset one or more parameters of the rapid contrast therapy; and acontroller configured to operate the chiller, the heater, the firstpump, and the second pump based on the parameters selected by the userusing the user interface.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a first pressure sensorlocated on the bottom of the cold reservoir and a second pressure sensorlocated on the bottom of the hot reservoir.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a first liquid levelsensor in the cold reservoir and a second liquid level sensor in the hotreservoir.

In some embodiments, the system further includes an overflow conduitextending from an upper portion of the cold reservoir to an upperportion of the hot reservoir, wherein the overflow conduit providesfluid communication between the cold reservoir and the hot reservoir.

In some embodiments, the heater is disposed in the hot reservoir.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a heating elementdisposed in the cold reservoir.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a heater baffledisposed proximate the heater, wherein the heater baffle is configuredto induce convection of the hot liquid around the heater.

In some embodiments, the system further includes temperature sensorsconfigured to measure a temperature of the hot liquid and a temperatureof the cold liquid.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a third pump configuredto pump cold liquid from the cold reservoir to a therapy wrap, and afourth pump configured to pump hot liquid from the hot reservoir to thetherapy wrap.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a compressor configuredto pressurize and depressurize a therapy wrap.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to level the liquidsin the hot reservoir and the cold reservoir when the system is not beingused to actively treat a patient.

In some embodiments, the controller is configured to level the liquidsin the hot reservoir and the cold reservoir when the first liquid levelsensor or the second liquid level sensor detects a critical liquidlevel.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a plurality of valvesconfigured to control the flow of liquids throughout the system.

In some embodiments, the valves are solenoid valves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity inthe claims that follow. A better understanding of the features andadvantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to thefollowing detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments,in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and theaccompanying drawings of which:

FIGS. 1A-1B illustrate a system for providing cold, heat/hot/warm(hereafter referred to as “hot”), and/or rapid contrast therapy.

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface that can serve as acontrol panel.

FIG. 3 illustrates various pressure curve profiles.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an embodiment of a therapy wrap.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate an embodiment of the system being refilled usingthe refill port and drained using the drain ports.

FIGS. 6-8B are schematic diagrams that illustrate various embodiments ofthe system.

FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate an embodiment of a cold reservoir and a hotreservoir.

FIG. 10A-10B present various parameters that are used by the system.

FIGS. 11A-11O illustrate various screens displayed by the touch screeninterface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1A-1B and illustrate a system 1000 for providing cold,heat/hot/warm (hereafter referred to as “hot”), and/or rapid contrasttherapy, which involves rapidly alternating between cold therapy and hottherapy. The system can circulate cold or warm fluid, such as water,through a hose, into a therapy wrap, and then back to the fluidreservoirs of the system. The system can utilize a vapor compressionsystem or other chiller technology to cool the cold water reservoir, andimmersion heaters can be used to heat the hot water reservoir. Thesystem can have two or more ports, in order to serve two or morepatients simultaneously. Two or more air pumps can be utilized (one foreach port) in order to provide pneumatic compression along with thethermal therapy. In other embodiments, the system may have a single portand single air pump to treat just a single patient.

In some embodiments, the system 1000 can have a user interface 1002 onan upper front facing panel. The user interface 1002 can be a touchdisplay. An on/off power button 1004 can be provided. The on/off powerbutton can be located on, in or near the user interface 1002. The upperfront facing panel can also have a reservoir fill cover 1006 that can beopened to provide access to fill ports. Handles 1008 can also beprovided to allow the user to move the system, which can have a basedwith 4 locking casters 1010. A removable or openable front cover 1012can provide access to the internal components of the system. Air vents1014, a hose holster 1016, and a connector hose 1018 can be located onone or both the sides of the system.

The rear of the system can have a fan 1020, additional air vents 1022,drain ports 1024, a USB port 1026 and/or network port, an additionalon/off power switch 1028, a power cord inlet 1030, and equipotentialground pins 1032.

Therapy Modalities:

COOLING: water can be supplied and returned to the cold reservoir ascontrolled by the flow control valves associated with the port. Sincethere is only one cold reservoir in some embodiments, the cold reservoirtemperature control may be common to both ports, or all ports forembodiments with more than 2 ports, and the temperature may beadjustable from the user interface, such as the home screen which can bethe default display screen. Each port can have individual settings fortreatment parameters, including treatment temperatures and duration andair pressure, which allow the system to deliver customized treatment toeach wrap connected to the system.

HEATING: water can be supplied and returned to the hot reservoir ascontrolled by the flow control valves associated with the port. Sincethere may be only one hot reservoir in some embodiments, the hotreservoir temperature control may be common to both ports, or all portsfor embodiments with more than 2 ports, and its temperature may beadjustable from the user interface, such as the home screen which can bethe default display screen. Each port can have individual settings fortreatment parameters, including treatment temperatures and duration andair pressure, which allow the system to deliver customized treatment toeach wrap connected to the system.

CONTRAST: water supplied to the wraps can alternate between the hot andcold reservoirs based on the separate and customizable hot duration andtemperature and cold duration and temperature settings. A typicaltreatment is alternating 3 min hot and 1 min cold. In some embodiments,durations of less than one min on either hot or cold therapy to preventthe wraps from being half filled with warm/hot water and half filledwith cold water. Air pressure can also be adjustable separately for thehot and cold treatments. For example the pressure could be set to high(i.e., 75 mmHg) during cold and med low (i.e., 25 mmHg) during hot. Insome embodiments, the pressure applied during cold treatment can behigher during cold treatment than hot treatment to work alongside withvasoconstriction during cold treatment. Heat causes vasodilation, andblood rushes in—so air pressure may be counterproductive with heattherapy, which means using a lower pressure during heat treatment may bebeneficial. In some embodiments, treatment duration selections may belimited to whole cycle values to end in a certain mode. For example, ahot and cold cycle may be limited to minute increments, and a combinedhot and cold cycle duration may be limited to a set value or upperlimit. For example, the single combined hot cold cycle may not exceed 4minutes in some embodiments, meaning if the hot treatment is 3 minutes,then the cold treatment is 1 minute. In some embodiments, a hot coldcycle may be limited to 2 to 10 minutes, or 4 to 20 minutes, or 2 to 30minutes. In some embodiments, the total treatment is configured to endwith cold treatment or hot treatment by configuring the treatment timesand number of cycles.

COMPRESSION ONLY: water is not pumped through the wraps but air oranother gas can be pumped into the wrap. Treatment duration, airpressure, and optionally the pressure curve profile (the ramping up,maintenance, and release of pressure over time) will be adjustable.

COMPRESSION WITH THERMAL THERAPY: The thermal therapies described hereincan be combined with the compression therapy.

Control Panel(S):

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a user interface 2000 that can serveas a control panel. The user interface 2000 can be a touch screen withgraphical icons that represent the different treatment modalities andcan include adjustable parameter settings, such as hot and coldtemperature settings for example. For example, the control panel can usea 7″ touchscreen TFT set in a traditional domed membrane switch. Most ofthe controls can be on the TFT display. A few buttons like power, STOP,home, etc. can be on the membrane switch. In some embodiments, acapacitive touch screen can be used.

Air Pressure Profiles:

In various embodiments, in the cooling mode the pressure of gasfurnished by the control unit is between about 0.25 psig and about 20psig, preferably between about 0.25 psig and about 5 psig, and morepreferably about 0.25 to about 1.5 psig. In various embodiments, thecontrol unit maintains a compressive force of between about 0.25 psigand about 5 psig. In various embodiments, the control unit maintains acompressive force of between about 0.25 psig and about 0.5 psig. Invarious embodiments, the pressure of gas furnished by the control unitis user selectable in increments of 5 mm Hg from 0 mm to about 75 mm.

In various embodiments, the pressure of gas furnished by the controlunit is based on the patient's response. For example, if the patient iswearing the wrap during exercise, the pressure may vary based on howstrenuous the exercise is. If the patient is having trouble breathing,the control unit may decrease the compressive force around the lungs.The pressure profile map may be set to adjust based on a predeterminedroutine. In various embodiments, the pressure profile map includes 3minutes of slowly increasing pressure followed by 2 minutes ofdecreasing pressure. In various embodiments, the pressure profile mapincludes 30 seconds of increasing pressure followed by 15 seconds ofdecreasing pressure. In various embodiments, the pressure fluctuates atrandom. In various embodiments, the pressure profile map includes 2minutes of compression followed by 1 minute with no compression.

The strength and frequency of the pulses may be modified depending onthe application. In various embodiments, the control unit deliverspulses of compression for massaging therapy.

In various embodiments the wrap can be used with a rigid or semi-rigidsupport such as a brace. In various embodiments, the control unit canapply and maintain a low pressure or no pressure when the control unitdetects a brace in use with the wrap. In various embodiments, thecontrol unit can apply and maintain higher pressures when the controlunit detects a brace not in use with the wrap. In some embodiments, alow pressure is less than 10 psig, 5 psig, 4 psig, 3 psig, 2 psig, 1psig, or 0.5 psig. In some embodiments, a high pressure is greater than0.5 psig, 1 psig, 2 psig, 3 psig, 4 psig, 5 psig, or 10 psig.

In heating mode, the same pressures will be available as for the coldsettings.

FIG. 3 illustrates various pressure curve profiles: high (about 75mmHg), medium high (about 50 mmHg), medium low (about 25 mmHg), and low(about 15 mmHg). The ramp time can be about 2 minutes to achieve thetarget pressure for high, medium high, and medium low, while the ramptime for low can be about 1 minute. The ramp times and targettemperatures for the different settings can be adjustable, or can bepredetermined and fixed.

In some embodiments, the default pressures for the cooling and heatingmodes is different. In other embodiments, the default pressures for thecooling and heating modes is the same.

In contrast therapy mode, the therapy profile can specify the coldduration and temperature and compression, the hot duration andtemperature and compression, and the duration of treatment or number ofcycles to be run.

In some embodiments, the system allows named preset therapy sessions tobe configured and saved by the user that can be later selected directlyby name and/or a unique icon.

Wraps:

Further details regarding wraps, fluid bladders, air bladders, and theiroperation and manufacture are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,837,638;7,198,093 and 6,695,872, both to Elkins, U.S. Patent Publication Nos.2014/0142473, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein forall purposes by reference.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate an embodiment of a therapy wrap. The therapywrap 20 is configured for wrapping to a portion of an animate body fordelivering treatment. The body may include, but is not limited to, amammalian body such as a human or an equine animal. The exemplarytherapy wrap is in the form of a sleeve for connecting variouscomponents of heat transfer device 22 to the patient's body. The sleeveis similar in many respects to the sleeve disclosed by U.S. Pat. No.7,896,910 to Schirrmacher et al. and cover disclosed by U.S. Pat. No.6,695,872 to Elkins, the entire contents of which patents areincorporated herein for all purposes by reference.

Exemplary therapy wrap 20 includes an opening 19 for directing heattransfer device 22 into a pouch or cavity in the sleeve interior. Aportion of sleeve may be pulled back to reveal the pouch and facilitatepositioning of the heat transfer device in the pouch as shown in FIG.2B. Any suitable fastening means can be used to close the opening suchas, but not limited to, a zipper.

The pouches may be selectively positioned in predetermined locations ontherapy wrap 20. In other words, the pouches may be fixed into aposition on the wrap based on parameters defined before use of the wrap.Such parameters may include user preferences or application demands. Invarious embodiments, the sleeve is configured to position a bladder inone of a plurality of predefined locations. The predefined locations maybe determined by user preferences. In various embodiments, thepredefined locations correspond to key areas for core cooling of thebody.

Therapy wrap 20 may have a variety of shapes and sizes for applying todifferent portions of the body or different body anatomies. The sleevemay be shaped and configured for application to a mammal, and in variousembodiments, a human. In various embodiments, the sleeve is shaped forapplying to and covering all or part of a torso, a thoracic region, acranial region, a throat region, a limb, and a combination of the same.Various aspects of the therapy wrap, in particular the sleeve, shape anddesign may be similar to the devices disclosed by U.S. Pat. No.7,107,629 to Miros et al. and U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2005/0256556 A1 toSchirrmacher et al., the entire contents of which are incorporatedherein for all purposes by reference.

In general, “heat transfer device” refers to the body heat exchangingcomponent(s). In various embodiments, the heat transfer device includeslayers of material defining a flexible fluid bladder through which aliquid is circulated and a gas bladder in which a pressurized gas isinjected. Exemplary heat transfer device 22 is in the form of aconventional multi-bladder assembly for positioning adjacent a treatmentsite of a body. In various aspects, the multi-bladder assembly ismanufactured and configured using known techniques. A commonly usedthermal bladder assembly uses both a compliant fluid bladder 25 forcirculating heat transfer fluid and a gas pressure bladder 28 whichoverlays the fluid bladder (best seen in FIG. 2B). The gas pressurebladder is adapted to inhibit edema and/or for pressing the fluidbladder against the body part to be subjected to heat exchange.

More specifically, outer gas pressure bladder 28 is adapted to receive afirst fluid such as a gas (e.g., air) that can be regulated to providethe desired amount of inflation of the bladder or pressure therein. Thisinflation or pressure affects the compressive force applied to theanimate body during use. Inner fluid bladder 25 is adapted to receive afluid, such as a coolant which can be in the form of a cold liquid, totransfer heat away from the animate body part. Alternatively, the fluidsupplied to the inner bladder can have a temperature higher than theanimate body part to heat the body part.

The hose and connector to attach the therapy wrap to the system can usea 3-port connector with a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and a gas port.

Approximate Dimensions for One Embodiment of the System

Height 40 inches 1016 mm Length 20 inches 500 mm Width 17 inches 430 mmWater Volume 3 gallon (1-5 gallons) 11 liter Weight 150 pounds 45 Kg

Water Temperatures:

In some embodiments, the temperature of the hot reservoir can beadjustable from about 100 to 120 deg F., and the temperature of the coldreservoir can be adjustable from about 38 to 60 deg F. The temperatureranges can be determined by safety considerations (i.e., avoiding tissuedamage) and freeze prevention of fluid in cold reservoir. In someembodiments, the range limits can be adjusted by the user. For examplethe upper range for the hot reservoir can be lowered by the user to, forexample, 110 or 115 F, and/or the lower range for the cold reservoir canbe increased to 40 or 45 or 50 F. In some embodiments, the useradjustable range is limited to adjustments made within a predeterminedrange so that the user cannot exceed a predetermined hot temperaturelimit or fall below a predetermined cold temperature limit.

Water:

In some embodiments, distilled water is provided and/or recommended foruse to reduce scaling. In the event distilled water is not used,descaling agents such as phosphoric acid, acetic acid, or citric acidcan be flushed through the system. Instructions for descaling the systemcan be provided.

In some embodiments, addition of an antimicrobial and or scale inhibitermay also be recommended.

In some embodiments, the system is drained when not in use anddrained/refilled periodically. As shown in FIGS. 5A-5C, to facilitatedraining and refilling, the system 5000 can have easily accessible drainports 5002 and fill ports 5004. The fill ports 5004 can be located onthe front facing portion of system near the user interface for increasedaccess, which allows the user to easily add more fluid to the system ifneeded, even during treatment. A removable or openable cover 5006 cancover the fill ports 5004.

Temperature Control:

To make a reasonably sized system, the ratio of thermal mass to heattransfer suggests deviating from the traditional refrigerationtemperature control methods.

FIGS. 6-8B are schematic diagrams that illustrate various embodiments ofthe system. As shown in FIG. 6 , in some embodiments with an AC system,a hot gas bypass 6000 can be used and temperature can be controlled withan isolation valve 6002 upstream of the thermal expansion valve 6004. Asshown in FIG. 7 , if a variable speed DC compressor 7000 is used thepower may be lowered to allow use of a heater 7002 in the cold tank7004. FIG. 8A illustrates a schematic of the cold tank portion, and FIG.8B illustrates a schematic of the hot tank portion. FIGS. 8A and 8Billustrate pumps 8001, 8002, 8003, 8004 that can be used to pump fluidtoo the chiller 8005, the heater 8006, and between the cold tank 7004and the hot tank 8007. The pumps in combination with a system of valvescan be used to control the fluid flow in the system.

Return Water Strategy (i.e. when in Rapid Contrast Mode).

In order to make the cooling and heating systems more efficient, it willbe advantageous to delay switching of return water for a period of timeafter switching from hot to cold or from cold to hot, i.e., whenswitching from hot to cold, there will be about 300-750 ml or some othervolume of hot water still in the hoses and wraps. If return waterswitched at the same time as the supply water, a large volume of hotwater would be pumped into the cold water tank. The inverse would betrue when switching from cold back to hot. Return water switching couldbe delayed until the return water reached a predetermined temperature ortime, which can be measured using a temperature sensor, such as athermistor. Switching between reservoirs can be achieved using solenoidvalves that can be opened and closed based on measurements from thetemperature sensor. For example:

-   -   T=(Th−Tc)/2    -   T=Th−10 F (when switching from cold to hot)    -   T=Tc+10 F (when switching from hot to cold)    -   Time=60 seconds

Tank System

When water supply is switched during contrast therapy, the tanks willoften be at different levels. There should be a method of protecting thesystem from overflow of one tank or another, and also a system toprevent one tank from running low on fluid.

A small equalization tube 6500 may be a solution as shown in FIGS. 6 and7 . This equalization tube 6500 would allow the tanks to equalize. Thelength and diameter of the tube could be sized to prevent fastequalization (which would dump hot water into the cold tank or viceversa). For example, the length and diameter of the tube can be sized toallow up to about 1%, 5%, or 10% of the tank volume in fluid to passthrough per minute. The equalization tube 6500 can be located on theupper portion of each tank, such as the upper 1/20, 1/10, ⅕, ¼, or ⅓.

A reversible pump between the reservoirs is another possible solution.This would have the advantage of being able to stop or startequalization at any time, and in any direction. Further advantage wouldbe that hot water could be added to the cold tank, or vice versa, inorder to more rapidly reach a desired tank temperature (i.e., whenchanging tank temperatures) or to prevent overshoot, etc.

Another solution can be for overflow to be passed back and forth betweenthe tanks at the filling ports shown in FIG. 5C. The filling ports canbe housed in a receptacle that can accommodate fluid overflow from thereservoirs. As one reservoir overflows through its filling port, thereceptacle is filled and the overflow fluid flows into the filling portof the other reservoir.

If the liquid levels in the tanks are equilibrated or balanced duringtherapy, either hot water is added to the cold tank or cold water isadded to the hot tank, which reduces the temperature gradient betweenthe hot and cold tanks. This change in tank temperatures during therapymay not be desirable. Therefore, in some embodiments, tank fluid levelmanagement, particularly the liquid leveling steps as described herein,can be generally performed outside of therapy, such as after therapy iscompleted. However, when the liquid level in a tank is critically low, aliquid leveling procedure can be used even during therapy to return thetank levels to non-critical levels. This liquid leveling procedure canbe implemented, for example, through control of the pumps describedherein in connection with FIGS. 8A and 8B, for example.

It would be advantageous to make filling the system easy and intuitive.Since there will be two tanks, it may be advantageous to only have onefill port, and not have to fill each reservoir individually. In otherembodiments, each reservoir can have its own fill port, as shown in FIG.5B. Directing the water into both the hot tank and cold tank equally maybe a challenge. If the fill line is above the level of each reservoir,then both reservoirs would equalize at that point. However, that doesnot leave room for additional head height in either tank during use, andthe two tanks would mix freely, thus making temperature control of eachtank more difficult and inefficient. In some embodiments, an indicatoron the user interface can indicate the fill level of the reservoirsand/or can indicate when a reservoir is fully filled. The tanks can havea fluid level sensor to determine the amount of fluid in the tank.

Therefore, an embodiment of a reservoir that addresses these concerns isshown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. The system comprises a Cold Reservoir 9001, aHot Reservoir 9002 and a Fill Port 9006. Water may be poured into theFill Port 9006 using a pitcher, hose, gallon jug, etc. Ease of fillingmay be aided by use of a wide, funnel or tapered shape to the fill port9006. The fill port 9006 may be sealed by a Fill Cap assembly 9004. Thefill cap assembly 9004 may include a Knob 9004 a a strainer 9004 b and aTank Seal 9004 c. The Tank Seal may be configured to provide an openingbetween the reservoirs and the ambient environment in one position (openposition), and to seal the opening between the reservoirs and theambient environment in another position (closed position). In the openposition, there may be a conduit that connects the Hot and ColdReservoirs. This allows for water to equalize between the hot and coldreservoirs once an adequate fill level is attained (between the UpperFill Level 9019 and Lower Fill Level 9020. When the Tank Seal is in theClosed Position, the conduit between the Hot and Cold reservoirs may beclosed off, in order to prevent exchange of fluid as fluid levels 9008a-b and 9009 a-b change independently within the system. Vents in theReservoirs 9005, 9006 allow for the air pressure within the tanks to benearly atmospheric.

Cold Water Outlet 9010 and Hot Water Outlet 9011 may be located at thebottom surface of the reservoir, or may be at a level just above thereservoir bottom to prevent sediment from entering the fluidics lines.Cold Water Inlet 9012 and Hot Water Inlet 9013 would desirably beconfigured such to encourage mixing within the reservoir. Proper mixing,or forced convection around the Heater 9015 is particularly important toefficiently heat the water tank, and reduce surface temperature on theheater, which in turn reduces the likelihood of scaling developing onthe Heater. For this reason, it may be desirable to include a HeaterBaffle 9014 near the heater increase water velocity around the heatersurface. The Baffle may be designed such to provide a torturous waterpath to further reduce the boundary layer at the surface of the heater.A similar approach may be used if a Heater is used in the Cold Reservoiras well.

A sensor (preferably a Pressure Sensor) may be used in order to sensethe water level in the tank. The Pressure Sensor 9018, 9019 would bebest placed near the bottom of the tank to most accurately measure HeadPressure within the tank. Reservoir Vents 9005, 9006 would allow foraccurate pressure measurement.

Water level may be equalized or adjusted via a Tank Level Facilitator9003 located adjacent to the reservoirs. The Tank Level Facilitator maypassive, and could comprise of a simple orifice, or long length oftubing sized to provide a desired flowrate between the two reservoirsbase simply on water level difference. The Tank Level Facilitator mayalso be an active device that pumps fluid from the Hot Reservoir to theCold Reservoir or vice versa. This may be desirable if a significantwater level imbalance is sensed, or to adjust the temperature in one ofthe tanks rapidly. In addition to or in lieu of the tank head PressureSensors, alternative liquid level sensors or switches may be employed inorder to provide a means of identifying whether the tank is above orbelow a certain point. This may be valuable as a redundant indicator, orto ensure that water was always above the heater element.

An overflow prevention means may be to add an Overflow Conduit 9022between the two Reservoirs. This may provide for a more rapid exchangeof excess water to the opposite tank than could be done with a passiveversion of the Tank Level Facilitator.

Furthermore, Overflow Drains 9023, 9024 may be utilized in order toroute excess water to outside the device, (in an overflow tank, or ontothe ground). Additional sensors could be added to the Overflow Drains tosense this condition, or a means to detect moisture in the overflow tankcould be added.

Parameters for using the system are shown in FIG. 10A-10B.

Various screens displayed by the touch screen interface are shown inFIGS. 11A-11O. The system can include a controller and/or processor andmemory for storing instructions and programming to implement the userinterfaces described herein as well as controlling the system asdescribed herein. The various components, such as the pumps, thesensors, the compressors, the heat exchangers, the heaters, and thevalves, can be controlled by the processor and/or send information tothe processor.

When a feature or element is herein referred to as being “on” anotherfeature or element, it can be directly on the other feature or elementor intervening features and/or elements may also be present. Incontrast, when a feature or element is referred to as being “directlyon” another feature or element, there are no intervening features orelements present. It will also be understood that, when a feature orelement is referred to as being “connected”, “attached” or “coupled” toanother feature or element, it can be directly connected, attached orcoupled to the other feature or element or intervening features orelements may be present. In contrast, when a feature or element isreferred to as being “directly connected”, “directly attached” or“directly coupled” to another feature or element, there are nointervening features or elements present. Although described or shownwith respect to one embodiment, the features and elements so describedor shown can apply to other embodiments. It will also be appreciated bythose of skill in the art that references to a structure or feature thatis disposed “adjacent” another feature may have portions that overlap orunderlie the adjacent feature.

Terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention.For example, as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/orgroups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and allcombinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may beabbreviated as “/”.

Spatially relative terms, such as “under”, “below”, “lower”, “over”,“upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease of description todescribe one element or feature's relationship to another element(s) orfeature(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that thespatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentorientations of the device in use or operation in addition to theorientation depicted in the figures. For example, if a device in thefigures is inverted, elements described as “under” or “beneath” otherelements or features would then be oriented “over” the other elements orfeatures. Thus, the exemplary term “under” can encompass both anorientation of over and under. The device may be otherwise oriented(rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relativedescriptors used herein interpreted accordingly. Similarly, the terms“upwardly”, “downwardly”, “vertical”, “horizontal” and the like are usedherein for the purpose of explanation only unless specifically indicatedotherwise.

Although the terms “first” and “second” may be used herein to describevarious features/elements (including steps), these features/elementsshould not be limited by these terms, unless the context indicatesotherwise. These terms may be used to distinguish one feature/elementfrom another feature/element. Thus, a first feature/element discussedbelow could be termed a second feature/element, and similarly, a secondfeature/element discussed below could be termed a first feature/elementwithout departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless thecontext requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, and variations such as“comprises” and “comprising” means various components can be co jointlyemployed in the methods and articles (e.g., compositions and apparatusesincluding device and methods). For example, the term “comprising” willbe understood to imply the inclusion of any stated elements or steps butnot the exclusion of any other elements or steps.

As used herein in the specification and claims, including as used in theexamples and unless otherwise expressly specified, all numbers may beread as if prefaced by the word “about” or “approximately,” even if theterm does not expressly appear. The phrase “about” or “approximately”may be used when describing magnitude and/or position to indicate thatthe value and/or position described is within a reasonable expectedrange of values and/or positions. For example, a numeric value may havea value that is +/−0.1% of the stated value (or range of values), +/−1%of the stated value (or range of values), +/−2% of the stated value (orrange of values), +/−5% of the stated value (or range of values), +/−10%of the stated value (or range of values), etc. Any numerical valuesgiven herein should also be understood to include about or approximatelythat value, unless the context indicates otherwise. For example, if thevalue “10” is disclosed, then “about 10” is also disclosed. Anynumerical range recited herein is intended to include all sub-rangessubsumed therein. It is also understood that when a value is disclosedthat “less than or equal to” the value, “greater than or equal to thevalue” and possible ranges between values are also disclosed, asappropriately understood by the skilled artisan. For example, if thevalue “X” is disclosed the “less than or equal to X” as well as “greaterthan or equal to X” (e.g., where X is a numerical value) is alsodisclosed. It is also understood that the throughout the application,data is provided in a number of different formats, and that this data,represents endpoints and starting points, and ranges for any combinationof the data points. For example, if a particular data point “10” and aparticular data point “15” are disclosed, it is understood that greaterthan, greater than or equal to, less than, less than or equal to, andequal to 10 and 15 are considered disclosed as well as between 10 and15. It is also understood that each unit between two particular unitsare also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, then 11,12, 13, and 14 are also disclosed.

Although various illustrative embodiments are described above, any of anumber of changes may be made to various embodiments without departingfrom the scope of the invention as described by the claims. For example,the order in which various described method steps are performed mayoften be changed in alternative embodiments, and in other alternativeembodiments one or more method steps may be skipped altogether. Optionalfeatures of various device and system embodiments may be included insome embodiments and not in others. Therefore, the foregoing descriptionis provided primarily for exemplary purposes and should not beinterpreted to limit the scope of the invention as it is set forth inthe claims.

The examples and illustrations included herein show, by way ofillustration and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which thesubject matter may be practiced. As mentioned, other embodiments may beutilized and derived there from, such that structural and logicalsubstitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scopeof this disclosure. Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter maybe referred to herein individually or collectively by the term“invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarilylimit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventiveconcept, if more than one is, in fact, disclosed. Thus, althoughspecific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing rapid contrast therapy,the system comprising: a cold reservoir configured to hold a coldliquid; a hot reservoir configured to hold a hot liquid; a cold fillport in fluid communication with the cold reservoir; a hot fill port influid communication with the hot reservoir, wherein both the cold fillport and the hot fill port are housed in a receptacle that is configuredto accommodate fluid overflow from the cold reservoir and the hotreservoir by allowing the cold liquid to overflow from the coldreservoir and into the hot reservoir or the hot liquid to overflow fromthe hot reservoir and into the cold reservoir; a chiller configured tocool the cold liquid; a first pump configured to pump the cold liquidfrom the cold reservoir to the chiller; a heater configured to heat thehot liquid; a second pump configured to pump the hot liquid from the hotreservoir to the heater. a user interface configured to allow a user toset one or more parameters of the rapid contrast therapy; and acontroller configured to operate the chiller, the heater, the firstpump, and the second pump based on the parameters selected by the userusing the user interface.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising afirst pressure sensor located on the bottom of the cold reservoir and asecond pressure sensor located on the bottom of the hot reservoir. 3.The system of claim 1, further comprising a first liquid level sensor inthe cold reservoir and a second liquid level sensor in the hotreservoir.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an overflowconduit extending from an upper portion of the cold reservoir to anupper portion of the hot reservoir, wherein the overflow conduitprovides fluid communication between the cold reservoir and the hotreservoir.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the heater is disposed inthe hot reservoir.
 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising aheating element disposed in the cold reservoir.
 7. The system of claim5, further comprising a heater baffle disposed proximate the heater,wherein the heater baffle is configured to induce convection of the hotliquid around the heater.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprisingtemperature sensors configured to measure a temperature of the hotliquid and a temperature of the cold liquid.
 9. The system of claim 1,further comprising a third pump configured to pump cold liquid from thecold reservoir to a therapy wrap, and a fourth pump configured to pumphot liquid from the hot reservoir to the therapy wrap.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising a compressor configured to pressurize anddepressurize a therapy wrap.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein thecontroller is configured to level the liquids in the hot reservoir andthe cold reservoir when the system is not being used to actively treat apatient.
 12. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configuredto level the liquids in the hot reservoir and the cold reservoir whenthe first liquid level sensor or the second liquid level sensor detectsa critical liquid level.
 13. The system of claim 1, further comprising aplurality of valves configured to control the flow of liquids throughoutthe system.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the valves are solenoidvalves.